Do all the airlines suck?

[labman]

I don't fly much. So Monday my flight out of Denver was delayed by rain. When I got into Chicago, my connecting flight had already left. What did American Airlines do for me? They made reservations at a hotel for me at what they claimed was a reduced rate and booked me out on the first flight today.

I also lost the blond I sat next to on that flight and had the same connection. Didn't find her again until at the gate this morning.

Should I avoid AA or flying in general? Going out last Thursday, I was stuck in Chicago for 4 1/2 hours due to delays. My brother had to wait the same 4 1/2 hours for me in Denver.

 

[StevieC]

We have a great Airline up here that's called WestJet and the company is a co-op (owned by all of it's employees). They have superb service and really have a great time at what they do. They receive over 800,000 requests for employment a month!

I try to fly them anywhere I go and have been on almost 20 flights with them for work and have had nothing but the best of service experiences.

Sorry about your terrible experiences...

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: labman
Should I avoid AA or flying in general?

Avoid flying in general. Most airlines would treat you the same way AA did. If they can blame it on weather, they'll do nothing for you. Then again, I kind of understand their point of view, too.

On top of that, Chicago/ORD is one of the worst airports in the country when it comes to delays. I hate it.

 

[StevieC]

I have flown on Northwest, JetBlue, United Airlines. All these were good while flying them. if that helps... Sorry forgot to mention above.

 

[ksJoe]

I'm confused... were you expecting AA to book a blond to come to your hotel room?


But to your question - I think they're all pretty bad. I went to MSP last week and got delayed both ways. Check the on time percentage before booking the flight.

 

[JHZR2]

Chicago is amongst the worst anyway - you started with strikes against.

This time of year makes for odd delays all over due to weather throughout the country.

 

[StevieC]

Chicago is also one of the busiest airports in the US so I'm sure that plays into it as well.

 

[AmericaWestCMH]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Chicago is also one of the busiest airports in the US so I'm sure that plays into it as well.


2nd busiest in the world, combined with an inefficient layout = delays. ORD will be great when the modernization project is finished, but that's many years away.

 

[andrewg]

Most Airlines today really do suck the big one. I've had issues nearly every time I fly. JetBlue was one of the worst. Come to think of it, nearly every business I deal with today has horrible service. It's as though the word 'service' doesn't exists unless you're rich. I guess it's a sign of our whole culture becoming less friendly and caring too.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Come to think of it, nearly every business I deal with today has horrible service. It's as though the word 'service' doesn't exists unless you're rich. I guess it's a sign of our whole culture becoming less friendly and caring too.


I just think everything is getting down to "cut rate". The costs are climbing, the resources are shrinking, and misery rolls down hill.

They don't serve beluga caviar anymore at the late buffet on cruise ships ..and you're constantly hearing people paged to the financiers office since they've overrun their credit limit with stuff that used to be included.

..or so my wife tells me (I get the t-shirts). She's watched service decay everywhere. She rarely gets to go 1st class ..but the times she has on domestic flights (she wasn't paying) she was not surprised with the lack of service.

 

[Shannow]

My brother had an absolute corker a few years ago.

He and his wife were going to fly to Sydney for their wedding anniversary...arrived at the airport with plenty of time, only to be told that their flight was "delayed"...they waited, and the next flight to leave was also "delayed"...and the next (and I think the next).

Bro noticed that the incoming flights weren't coming in either.

Eventually an announcement came over that they were flying a pilot in so that all of the accumulated passengers could go to Sydney together...when the pilot and crew turned up.

Finally an incoming flight turned up, an aircrew got off that plane, and into the now nearly full plane.

Their evening was trashed, as they got to Sydney about 9PM.

Looks like the airline sold tickets never expecting them to fly out, until enough passengers had accumulated to make it worth their while...no pilot ensured a final excuse.

 

[Sayjac]

Wife flew US Airways a couple months ago. Connections at Dulles in DC. Landed in time to make the connections to McArthur on LI. However, airline said the plane had already left the gate. Conclusion, they had overbooked the connecting flight to McArthur, so they rolled that flight out there. 6hrs and a stop in Philly later plane landed. What can you do?

The good news, they overbooked the return flight from LI, so being there early they offered volunteers a free round trip ticket good for a year, to take a van ride to LaGuardia and fly out of there. Flight actually arrived sooner than original flight. Fair enough.

As said, this time of year weather is a factor. The earlier in the day you leave, the better your chances of getting there on time.

 

[ViragoBry]

I used to be a Delta flight attendant, so I've learned a few tricks over the years. First piece of advice: Fly as early in the day as you possibly can. First flight out, if you can drag yourself out of bed that early. If you're flying out in the evening, see if your plans can be modified to fly the next day instead. The weather is typically best in the morning, and most of the time, the plane sat there overnight so a lot of problems that the plane may have had are solved by flight time. This of course depends on whether or not the particular city you're in has a maintenance team, but for the most part, if a major problem is found after a plane's final flight for the day, they fly in a maintenance team and they work through the night to get it fixed.

Pay attention to your connection times when you're booking. Anything less than an hour between flights gives me night sweats. Southwest is notorious for the 30-minute connection, which sends you running down the airport terminal once you've fought your way off your first plane. ANY delay, and you're screwed. Who needs this stress? Book your ticket with AT LEAST one hour cushion between connecting flights. It won't kill you to sit at your gate and read if you run early.

If your plans are flexible, fly on a tuesday or wednesday. Loads are typically lightest on those days.

If you can manage it, AND still be courteous to the flight crew and other passengers, pack a smaller bag that can fit in an overhead. I've just about completely stopped checking luggage due to the rate of loss, and wait times at baggage claim. When I fly home for Christmas, I grab my bag out of the overhead and zoom right through the airport to the train, bypassing all those poor suckers at baggage claim. This can also assure that your luggage makes the trip if you have a tight connection.

*If you just can't travel light, please don't drag a full-zize suitcase, garment bag, etc. onto a plane. It's rude and inconsiderate and it's a great way to get a "sneezer" from a flight attendant. Oh wait..what am I saying? We don't do that.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Thanks to ViragoBry for the tips. I've always tried for a 2-hour window between connections; I'm glad to hear I was doing the right thing.

I haven't flown in 4-5 years, so I don't know, but can you still bring a cell phone through security in your carryon or in your pocket? It's just that they don't want you using the phone on the plane, right? Or is that only during takeoff and landing?

 

[Johnny]

IF I fly, it is generally always to Dallas, and I always fly Midwest Airlines. Wausau to Milwaukee, then Milwaukee to Dallas. I have never had a problem with Midwest.

 

[benjamming]

labman,

Yes, they will all screw you given the opportunity. Some will provide the lube, some will act like they don't enjoy it, but drop the soap & look out! The lack of information & lies that really bug me & cause me to not have any sympathy for the airline industry as a whole. It's sorta like the auto industry, they have worked hard to be where they are (customer disservice is job #1).

Virago,

I would agree with your tips but they are almost always futile. What I mean is that I usually either make the flight or it is way out there & no tips would have saved the itinerary. I can't get to the airport 4-5 hours early & even if I did, the flight would end up cancelled w/ no backup. I fly only when I have to.

Case in point, last week flying form ORD to ATL to HSV. ATL shut down last Friday night due to weather. We divert to CVG at 2130. Plane finally arrives in ATL around 0100, well after the HSV airport closes & our connecting flight is gone. No rental cars available in ATL so we are given the option to deplane (thankfully) in CVG & drive the 400 miles home. We arrive at HSV at 0330, get our car, & drive home. I had to leave for work 0500 Sat. I was glad that this time the drive from CIN was not during extreme downpours & tornado watches/warnings like it was last time.

 

[Pablo]

I used to travel A LOT.

Not ALL airlines in the world do, but the ones in USA and Canada with union stewies suck the most. I have to say China Eastern, Evergreen, China Air, etc actually still (or did 4 years+ ago) had great service....

American airlines, flying back from Brazil. No water.

 

[benjamming]

Yes, thanks Pablo, I forget to bracket my comments to USA. Flying to South Korea is tolerable only due to the good service.

 

[jaj]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
We have a great Airline up here that's called WestJet and the company is a co-op (owned by all of it's employees). They have superb service and really have a great time at what they do. They receive over 800,000 requests for employment a month!

I try to fly them anywhere I go and have been on almost 20 flights with them for work and have had nothing but the best of service experiences.

Sorry about your terrible experiences...


Awe, c'mon. WS has as many issues as any other airline, they're just different ones. Once they get the planes in the air they're pretty good, but their on-the-ground service design is just weird.

For instance, I arrived at Pearson a while ago about five hours early for my flight. I had a full-fare ticket, so changing flights to the one that left in an hour should be easy, right?

The lineup for the check-in counter was half-way down the terminal, though. After ten minutes of standing still it was clear that I wouldn't get to the counter in time. So what's plan B? I decided to get a boarding pass for my original flight from a kiosk, go through security to the air-side, go to the gate for the earlier flight and switch planes there. Piece of cake, right?

Well, that's when I discovered that WS has a rule that wouldn't allow me do a kiosk check-in more than 4 hours before the flight I was booked on! In other words, I couldn't switch to the earlier flight until after the earlier flight had departed.

So, while I stood in line, I phoned the travel agent's emergency help line on my cell and paid them a fee to change my booking to the earlier flight so I could go to the kiosk and get a boarding pass and leave.

So, yes, while WS is partly owned by its employees, some of the employees are seriously out of touch with how the traveling public travels.

What I've concluded after 25 years of being top tier in one or more frequent flyer program every year is that every airline has some things it does well, and some things it doesn't. None of them do everything well. Period.

Air Canada is better for business travelers - there's more "just get me there" logic to the way they do business than there is with Westjet. Westjet, as good as they are, clearly cut their teeth on vacation travelers who don't travel much. I fly them to and from Toronto quite often for my charity work (they're cheaper), and I just put up with the nonsense.

 

[firemachine69]

One of my best friends works for Air Canada Jazz.


We had exactly one flight (me and her) together, and I forever swore them off.

Westjet'er for life!